The triple contrabass viol is a modern variant of the French octobass, closely related to the double bass.[citation needed]
Recordings and performances of sub-contrabass string instruments are rare; over 10 feet (3 m) tall, the triple contrabass viol must be played with the performer on an elevated platform. It was originally a three-stringed baroque instrument tuned C0–G0–C1 or C0–G0–D1 with the lower C coming in at 16.35 Hz. This is equivalent to the C two octaves below the cello's lowest C.
A four-string variant of the contrabass viol is played by bassist Brian Smith on Roscoe Mitchell's recording, Four Compositions (Lovely Music, 1988).[1] It had two large circular holes in the body to facilitate recording.